By Terri King

Burl Like A Girl is a beginning clinic on climbing powerfully from a woman’s perspective. It’s taught by Regan Kenedy.

Elite Climbing is an advanced clinic on pushing it to the next level for the 5.11, 5.12 or 5.13 climber. It’s taught by Cedar Wright. To get the most out of this clinic, you should be comfortable climbing 5.11′s.

Sport and Redpointing is an intermediate level class geared for the 5.8, 5.9, 5.10 climber looking to learn to work projects and get stronger. Taught by Alli Rainey and Kevin Wilkinson.

Multipitch Efficiency is a beginning/intermediate clinic for climbers looking to spend more time climbing and less time transitioning at anchors. It’s taught by Brittany Griffith

Intro to Trad is a beginning clinic designed for the beginning trad climber. It’s taught by Shingo Ohkawa.

Footwork and Technique is a beginning/intermediate clinic for those who struggle with footwork. It’s taught by Margarita Martinez and Rene Keyzer-Andre (our very own Tutugirl!)

We also have 2 mini-clinics on photography: DSLR 101 and Off Camera Lighting 101 – these are 3-hour clinics taught by professional photographer Wes Allen.

Unfortunately, the Warriors Way clinic is sold out.

If you are interested in any of our clinics you may sign up at the registration desk at Rocktoberfest. Online Registration is now closed.

If you are looking to avoid climbing where clinics are being held, please avoid:
The Gallery, The Shire, The Playground, Global Village

The rules are simple:
1. Bake delicious brownies. Enough to share.
2. Drop them at the festival site Saturday before dinner. We’ll take one from the plate for judging and the rest we’ll be a “donation” which will be given out to hungry festival go-ers as part of dinner.
3. An elite panel of french-culinary-school-trained judges will bestow honors and accolades on those of you possessing the “art of the brownie”.
4. Awards given for most awesome creation.
5. No Funny business. This is a fundraiser and needs to be family friendly.

Can’t wait to see you there!

Paul Vidal (RRGCC Vice President)
Your thoroughness and web skilz are unmatched. Thank you for coordinating the Access Fund loan refinance of the PMRP purchase. I have enjoyed our conversations and appreciate that together develop better solutions than we could come up with individually.

Stephanie Meadows (RRGCC Board member and 2010 Treasurer)
Your enthusiasm and dedication are great. Thank you for coordinating the assembly of the emergency instructions. Without you to kick start the activities, the concept would have never gotten off the ground. Also, thank you for stepping up to take the role of Treasurer. Installation of the poo signs was fun, too – those with your trash bag dispenser are making a positive impact. I have enjoyed working and climbing with you.

Josephine Neff (RRGCC newly elected Board member and RRGCC Secretary)
Welcome to the BOD. You, more than anyone, have proven your dedication and enthusiasm for making the RRGCC a better, more open organization. Thank you for organizing the volunteers for Rocktoberfest and taking on the role of Secretary.

Charlie Rittenberry (RRGCC Board member and 2010 President)
As the previous President you laid the groundwork for this year. Thank you for coordinating the site activities at Rocktoberfest. Every year including 2010, it’s you and Morgan Burton that keep the event train-wreck on course.

Morgain Sprague (RRGCC Board member and 2010 Vice President)
Your guidance has continued to shape the direction of the RRGCC. Thank you for keeping us legal and straight.
Mike Driskell (RRGCC newly elected Board member and current Treasurer)
Welcome to the BOD. Thank you for your continued support of the trail day at Roadside and JR’s Darkside Trail Day. The installation of the gates provided fuel for discussion. However, I think the community understands the purpose of our installation.

Bentley Bracket (RRGCC Board member)
Thank you for your coordination of sponsors for Rocktoberfest. Without the industry support that you have nurtured, we could not have achieved such a financial success. $30,000 in a weekend!!! Thank you.

Katy Gully (RRGCC newly elected Board member)
Welcome to the BOD. Thank you for writing articles about the meeting with the Lee County people, helping be the face of the RRGCC at Miguel’s, and helping develop the marketing strategy and getting the word out about Rocktoberfest. Thank you.

Bill Strachan (RRGCC Executive Director)
As always you are the first bolt of our organization. You have been here from the beginning, seen it all come and go. I really appreciate your viewpoint and perspective. Your work on the LAC process is often done behind the scenes, and is under appreciated. However, it is no
less important. Your negotiations and steady effort will result in maintaining access to areas that might have been lost without you.
Thank you.

Matt Tackett (RRGCC newly appointed PMRP land manager)
Johnny and Alex Trail Day job creator, KYMBA negotiator, Climbers that Care, UClimb, Rocktoberfest Clinics, and now Land Manger for the PMRP. Not to mention orchestrating the huge RTP grant. WOW ! ! ! Thank you.
http://redriveroutdoors.com/

Dawn Driskell (newly appointed volunteer staff assistant to the Treasurer)
Welcome to the club ! ! ! You are exactly what we needed. I am sure
that you will kick all forms of ass. Thank you in advance.

Sandra Davies (RRGCC staff)
Johnny and Alex Trail Day keeps getting better and better due to your excellent organization skilz. Also, Facebook is now the driving force of information about the RRGCC. Thank you for maintaining our Facebook site and getting the word out.
http://www.facebook.com/rrgcc

Ray and Michelle Ellington (guidebook authoring couple of the year)
Thanks for the instruction book. By maintaining and continued development of the instruction book, you and Wolverine have supported the RRGCC not only with dollars but also with the most powerful thing ever – information. Thanks for redriverclimbing.com too, which provides hours of entertainment and a completely free and up-to-date version of the guidebook. Thank you.
http://www.redriverclimbing.com

The Venturas (Miguel, Susan, Dario, Sarah, and Mark)
Thank you. Your unwavering support of the climbing community continues to make your place the center of climbing at the Red. This year’s Red River Reunion brought in over $5000 for the Coalition. Thank you for your support of everything.

Linda Black (Lago Linda’s) and Gloria Navarro (True North Inn)
Thanks for creating great options for the hungry and camping climbers. Thank you for supporting the Johnny and Alex Trail Day.
http://lagolinda.com/ & http://www.truenorthredrivergorge.com/

Phil Moore (Philz Snack Shack & more!)
Phil and Bev Moore and Jeff and Lisa Dickerson, welcome to the community! Ale 8 and chalk at the top of the hill at Bald Rock. Thanks for assisting those 2WD vehicles who fail the ascent up the hill. And thank you, for donating your land for use as a helipad for the community.
http://www.philzcamping.com/

Steve Mays (Lee County Judge Executive)
Bald Rock Road is better than it has ever been and the helipad is great. Thanks for supporting rock climbing and thank you for meeting with us to discuss the emergency instructions. Also, we cannot thank you enough for promising to keep the “Motherlode Hill” fixed for us.

http://rrgcc.org/community-news/rrgcc-acts-as-translators-between-cli…

Team Suck (friends of all Red climbers, not affiliated with the RRGCC)
Thank you for looking at and maintaining the anchors.
http://teamsuckclimbing.com/

Jeff Neal
Hand drilling at Funk Rock, to replace old anchors w/ glue-ins, need I say more?!?!?!? Thank you.

Land Owners (Rick and Liz Weber, Bob Matheny, Grant Stephens, who do not receive financial support from the RRGCC)
Thank you for allowing climbers to access your property.  You have given us a venue for fun, projects, sends, our almost sends, and make it possible to pursue our passions.  Thank you.

Route Developers and Equippers (again not affiliated with the RRGCC or Team Suck)
Thank you for the routes, the bolts, and the crags. Your time, effort, and vision make the Red River Gorge climbing what is and what it will become.

Gyms and local shops
Thank you Phillip Galls, Hoosier Heights, RockQuest, Philadelphia Rock Gym, J&H Lanmark, The Benchmark Outfitters among others for their tremendous support.
http://www.phillipgalls.com/
http://www.hoosierheights.com/index.php
http://www.rockquest.com/
http://www.philarockgym.com/
http://www.jhoutdoors.com/
http://www.benchmarkoutfitter.com/home

If I forgot anyone, I am sorry.

Every year presents new opportunities and obstacles. The RRGCC has some great stuff on the horizon. Jump in and do something to help. The community needs action. 2011 will be the best year ever to be a climber at the Red River Gorge.

smile
Rick Bost
RRGCC President

Dress for outdoor work & please bring work gloves!

Tools needed are shovels, picks, pry bars, spades, rakes, loppers and pruners. 

Projects include: 

1. Install a sign to display the rules for this area. 
2. Install more water bars on trail from parking lot up to the base of Roadside Attraction. 
3. Build steps where needed. 
4. Redo the cribbing at the base of the slab routes. 
5. Remove litter. 
6. As many other tasks as we can get done!

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Meeting Minutes

On 2/13/2010, the RRGCC held its first open Board of Directors meeting of 2010 at Torrent Falls. We had a nice turn out considering the frigid conditions! Paul Vidal, Morgain Sprague, Rick Bost, Bentley Brackett, Stephanie Meadows, and Don McGlone represented the Board of Directors. Other members in attendance included Executive Director, Bill Strachan, Jessica Brackett, Matt Tackett, Alan Wolfe, Maxwell Malone, Richard Goodwin, Mike Driskell, and Josephine Neff.

Bill Strachan provided an update on the LAC process. Although LAC was approved at the end of 2008, the Forest Service has no money to implement many LAC changes, but they are making some changes that do not require money. This includes closing user trails and campsites that do not meet the LAC requirements. For 2010, they have applied for grant money and they expect to implement more projects. This year, the RRGCC LAC Committee consisting of Bill, Chris Carr, Jim Holtzman, Shannon Stuart-Smith, and Rita Wehner plans to compose a draft Climbing Management Plan to submit to the Forest Service.

Stephanie Meadows provided an update on J&H fundraising. Their meeting to discuss fundraising was canceled due to weather. Stephanie is going to help them meet their goal to donate $7,000 to the RRGCC this year. Discussion was continued to include fundraising at other venues such as Phillip Galls, and climbing stores and gyms in other areas.

General fundraising suggestions were made. Bentley expressed a need to have an RRGCC button for the new Wolverine guidebook iPhone app. It was discussed that the RRGCC needs to accommodate mobile donations. Stephanie showed a new poster for the Miguel’s kiosk that advertises ways to donate and volunteer. The poster artwork is very eye-catching. Rick Bost proposed that the new poster be sent to the local gyms. Stephanie also proposed doing a non-event specific t-shirt. The RRGCC is always looking for ways to encourage donations from groups or individuals. Suggestions can be submitted to the RRGCC at www.rrgcc.org.

Rick Bost and Paul Vidal explained the new affinity credit card promotion that is in the works. They are working with a credit card company to create RRGCC specific cards. The program will donate $50 for each approved application that is submitted. Rick explained that if we can get 2,000 people to apply for a credit card in 2010, we would receive $100,000 in donations. The credit cards do not need to be used for the RRGCC to receive the donation; they must only be approved.

Bill Strachan and Matt Tackett discussed trail building in the PMRP. Matt is working with the Kentucky Mountain Bike Association to add more mountain biking trails to the PMRP property. Matt is planning to hold a mountain biking trail building session on the 3rd Saturday each month. The next trail building dates are 2/20/2010 and 3/20/2010. For those interested in the efforts, become a fan of “Pedal The Red” on Facebook for updates.

In other trail building news, Bill Strachan is planning to organize a trail day in the Military / Left Flank area. This must be carefully coordinated with the Forest Service to ensure compliance with the LAC requirements. JR and Mike Driskell are preparing several smaller trail building projects aimed at increasing the number of trail days throughout 2010. Mike Driskell is planning to continue trail work at Roadside on April 3, 2010. Work is scheduled to begin at 9:00. Those interested in participating in this trail day can RSVP at www.rrgcc.org.

The next open RRGCC Board meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 27, 2010.

Win a Sterling Rope

There was an open meeting at Torrent Falls this weekend to discuss Rocktoberfest and many other pressing issues that the RRGCC faces on a daily basis.

The BOD and other participants discussed how the economic downturn has impacted the climbing industry and community. We expect that this trend may continue for 2010. So again we must turn to you for support to make our fundraising goals. We know that you are willing to help. Climbers frequently ask what they can do to remind everyone to donate, as represented by Mike Anderson’s comment at the meeting: “It’s a privilege to climb here and I think everyone needs to pay.”

Check this out, you can donate at little as $7 a month to the RRGCC on a monthly basis. It is set up on auto draft so you don’t even have to think about it!

The RRGCC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. That means that money that you donate to the RRGCC is money that you get to deduct that from your taxes!

Here is the most important part: we are $12,000 short on the PMRP payment for next year. Yes, Rocktoberfest was an amazing event. But we experienced some additional expenses this year and dollars are tight with the economy in the condition it is in.

Here is the best part! You have the opportunity to deduct dollars from your taxes, help the RRGCC, and enter to win a brand new Sterling rope! If you go to http://rrgcc.org/support-us/membership/ and register yourself to donate $7 or more per month for a year (or $84 or more all at once as a lump sum) between now and February 15th, you will be entered to win a Sterling rope that we will mail to your house!

So seriously, go to http://rrgcc.org/support-us/membership/ right now and sign up! We will be posting the names of those who have signed up – make sure your name is on the list!